Avoiding Alcohol-Related Tragedy: Natrona County’s ‘Safe Ride’

With the Holidays right around the corner, the Natrona County Alcohol Task Force is reminding people about its "Safe Ride" program.
Detective John Hatcher with the Casper Police says the whole purpose is to get people safely home.
"It is a free ride the person can take home, but it's not free, the cab drivers still get paid," Hatcher says, "So it is a donation-based program. It's going to cost us this year approximately $16,000 to get people home safe. We just went over ten thousand rides home since the 2009 holiday season, which is a great thing to have."
Pete Abrams, Law Enforcement Liaison for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, says although enforcement will be increased over the holidays they're starting awareness about"Safe Ride".
"We're offering you the alternative ahead of time, which is the Safe Ride program," he says. "That's ten thousand impaired people that were given rides home in the last several years. Multiply that by what can happen when you're behind the wheel when you're impaired by ten thousand, and just think of all the tragedies that were prevented by those folks getting home safely."
Detective Hatcher says if you start to question whether you should have another drink you've probably had enough, and all you have to do is ask for the voucher, whether at a bar or a restaurant.
If you'd like to donate to "Safe Ride" you can do so through the Wyoming Community Foundation website, or drop your donation at the Casper Police Department.